(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a side collision avoidance system and method for a vehicle, more particularly, to a system and method for increasing accuracy in the detection of obstacles by combining ultrasonic sensor data with radar sensor data and predicting the probability of collisions with obstacles with high accuracy when a vehicle that is parallel parked exits a parking space.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, traffic congestion and parking problems have worsened in certain geographical areas. As the number of vehicles increases in a particular region, city, and country, available parking spaces are reduced. In order to address the lack of parking spaces, the size of a parking space for a single vehicle may be narrowed.
In addition, when many vehicles are parked in a parking lot even without visible parking markings, distances between vehicles are reduced. In this case, drivers may have difficulties in recognizing surrounding obstacles with the naked eye and maneuvering their vehicles to park in narrow parking spaces or exit the narrow parking spaces.
Accordingly, a smart parking assist system (SPAS) has been mounted in vehicles, and automatic parking or automatic exit technology utilizing images of the surrounding environment captured by the SPAS has been developed. Typically an SPAS automatically steers the vehicle when parking in a parking space, to assist parking or exit procedures.
However, when a vehicle, especially a vehicle that has been parallel parked, exits a parking space by using the SPAS, objects present at the left and right sides of the vehicle may not be detected, thereby resulting in collisions. Accordingly, it is necessary to detect the objects present at the left and right sides of the vehicle in order to allow the vehicle to exit the parking space safely and conveniently.
Conventionally, side collision avoidance technology uses radar sensors mounted on the rear of a vehicle so as to detect vehicles approaching from behind and output rear vehicle detection signals. In addition, such technology may utilize a plurality of ultrasonic sensors mounted on the sides of the vehicle so as to detect vehicles approaching from the sides and output side vehicle detection signals, where this technology may detect obstacles on the basis of the output signals of the sensors.
Since the conventional side collision avoidance technology uses radar sensor data and ultrasonic sensor data independently to detect obstacles, complementary functions of respective sensors may not be utilized, and thus accuracy in the detection of obstacles may be reduced. In addition, it may be difficult to predict the probability of collisions with obstacles with high accuracy.